- Ethnic communities in Kolkata
Kolkata , though comparatively young compared to theIndia n city states likeDelhi and Hyderabad, has nevertheless been a melting pot for international and Indian communities, even more so than the upscale and cosmopolitan Bombay and Delhi. Expatriate communities include Chinese, Tamil, Marwari,Anglo-Indian ,Jewish , Armenian, Tibetan, Greek and Parsi.Jewish
Kolkata's
Jew s are mostlyBaghdadi Jews who came to Kolkata to trade. At one point as strong as 6000, the community has dwindled to about 60 after the formation ofIsrael . Today there are only about 30 Jews left in Kolkata. The first recorded Jewish immigrant to Kolkata wasShalon Cohen in1798 fromAleppo in present daySyria . The most influential Jewish family in Kolkata was perhaps the father-son real estate magnates David Joseph Ezra and Elia David Ezra. They were behind such buildings as theChowringhee Mansions , Esplanade Mansions and the synagogueNeveh Shalom . Ezra Street in Kolkata is named after them. The community has five independent synagogues in Kolkata, including one in Chinatown, some of which are still active today. The Jewish confectioner Nahoum's in the New Market holds a special place in Kolkata confectionery. Founded in 1902, Nahoum's moved to its present location in the New Market in 1916. It is run today by the original owner's grandson, David Nahoum. A Jewish wedding in Kolkata after a gap of 50 years in the 1990s received a lot of media attention.Armenian
The
Armenians followed the land route throughBactria to trade with India from ancient times. They were known as the "Merchant Princes of India", and some settled in EmperorAkbar 's court. Some finally settled inSerampore and Kolkata, supposedly under the invitation ofJob Charnock .Among notable Armenians, Sir Apcar Alexander Apcar, a prominent businessman, was the head of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce, and
Arratoon Stephen built the Grand Hotel. The size of the Armenian community can be testified by the five Armenian cemeteries in Kolkata, including the one adjunct to the Chapel of Holy Trinity in Tangra and an Armenian church. A gift of Rs. 8000 byAsvatoor Mooradkhan helped found the Armenian College in 1821. Armenian College has been instrumental in pioneering the game of rugby on the Maidan turf.The Armenians settled in a block close to Free School Street, which even to this day is called Armani-para ("the neighbourhood of the Armenians"). They have mostly assimilated into the Indian population, and the community has now been reduced to a handful of houses.
Tibetan
The Tibetans were initially annual
winter visitors to Kolkata who, along with theBhutias , vended woollens, while Afghans (locally known asKabuliwallahs ) vended spices and fruits. Post1951 , Kolkata became home to quite a few Tibetans who used the porousSikkim -Tibet border to get to Kolkata.Winter sees large numbers of Tibetans set up winter garment streetside shops in the area around Wellington Square. The Tibetan community has also contributed to a large number of Tibetan restaurants serving ethnic Tibetan cuisine. Tibetan medicine is well accepted in Kolkata as alternative therapy to terminal illnesses.Greek
The
Greeks emigrated to India after the Ottoman and Turkish invasions in the16th century . Kolkata had a sizeable Greek community, mostly a close-knit clan of noble families from the Greek island ofChios , pursuing trade with the British. The firm of Ralli Brothers is perhaps the most common Greek name in Kolkata; the Rallis sold their firm in the 1960s after Indian independence and moved away, like most of the Greek community. The firm is presently known as Ralli India, under theTata Group of companies. The Greek community was centred around Amratollah Street around the Greek Church of the Transfiguration (built in 1782). The most famous Greek to hail from Kolkata possibly was the gifted violinistMarie Nicachi who embarked on a European tour in 1910 and played at the courts of Emperor Franz Josef ofAustria and TsarNicholas II ofRussia . She settled in her familial home ofCorfu afterWorld War I . The Greek contribution to the city will be remembered by the pioneering social work at the Greek Orthodox Church and the Panioty Fountain in the Maidan—named after Demetrius Panioty, personal secretary to the "friend of India,"Lord Ripon .ee also
*
Chinese of Calcutta References
* [http://banglapedia.org/HT/G_0203.htm A page on Kolkata Greeks]
* [http://banglapedia.org/HT/A_0302.htm A page on Kolkata Armenians]
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